Food news for consumers

Historic, Archive Document

Do not assume content reflects current
scientific knowledge, policies, or practices.

3

OODfNEWS

FOR CONSUMERS

United ^^^^ De^^tment of Agriculture Volume 5 Number 4 Winter

1989

When the Recipe
is Wrong

Norwalk — A
New Virus

Food Safety for
High-Risk Persons

FOOD
NEWS

FOR CONSUMERS

Winter 1989
Vol. 5, No. 4

Contents of this magazine
are intended for re-use. No
permission is necessary.

This magazine is published by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food
Safety and Inspection Service.

Administrator

Lester M. Crawford

Associate Administrator

Ronald J. Prucha

Director, Information and
Legislative Affairs

Jane Adams

Chief, Public Awareness

Laura Fox

Editor

Mary Ann Parmley
(202) 447-9351

News Wires Editor

Liz Lapping

Art Director

Richard J. Barnes

Cover Illustration

Richard Thompson

Photography

Lester Shepard

Production

Maxine Grant

Food News for Consumers is pubhshed
four times a year. Subscription price
is $5.00 (domestic) or $6.25 (foreign)
per year. Send subscription orders to:
Superintendent of Documents. U.S.
Government Printing Office,
Washington, DC 20402. Send
comments and inquiries to: Editor,
Food News for Consumers, FSIS/ILA,
Room 1165 South, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250.
Telephone: (202) 447-9351.

Ask the Consumer Advisor

Dear Consumer Advisor:

One of my New Year's resolutions is to go on a
diet. I know I should cut back on fat. What
foods should I avoid?

Dear Reader:

Congratulations on going on a diet. Losing
weight takes a lot of will power. But
approaching weight loss with the idea that you
must avoid certain food groups is usually not
successful in the long run. It's more sensible —
and more enjoyable — to eat lower- fat foods in
the four major food groups. These are: fruits
and vegetables, dairy products, breads and cereals, and meat, poultry and fish.

Our surveys indicate that people who avoid or cut back on certain foods, pre-
sumably to lose weight, don't always substitute foods that are lower in fat. For
example, people who cut back on meat do not necessarily reduce fat intake
because they may eat other foods that also have fat, such as cheese, rich des-
serts, or salads with lots of dressing. Also, cutting back on meat significantly
reduces the intake of important nutrients that a healthy body needs, including
iron and zinc. In other words, the trade-off may not be a wise choice. You could
end up with just as much fat and fewer nutrients!

Before starting any diet, consult your physician. He knows best how to help
you avoid a trap that could harm your health. Also, if you have children under
the age of 2 who seem a bit plump, do not place them on a fat-restricted diet,
such as skim milk. It could result in the "failure to thrive syndrome," in which
the child will not grow or develop normally due to malnutrition. Finally, if you
have any teenagers on diets, tell them that cutting down on red meat and dairy
products can result in growth and development problems as well. Trade-offs
could be hazardous. Consult a doctor, registered dietician, or quahfied
nutritionist.

The bottom line is that we still want to make sensible choices, whether we're
trying to lose weight or maintain it. There are lots of ways to do this. People
who make small, rather than drastic, dietary changes are more likely to adopt
better eating habits as a new way of life. That's the key to success.

Sincerely,

ANN COLLINS CHADWICK, DIRECTOR
Office of the Consumer Advisor
Phone: (1-202) 382-9681

2

FOOD NEWS FOn CONSUMERS /WINTER 1989

FOOD NEWS FOR CONSUMERS

CONTENTS

Consumer Educaf ton

Hotline Calling — But the Recipe Says . . .
Would you know how to tell if a "far out"
recipe were leading you astray, food safety-wise?
See the recipe checklist our home economists use

p. 4

Health and Nutrition

Coming Soon — The Norwalk Virus

It only takes a few particles of this virus to
make most people sick. That's why food scientists
are so concerned

p. 6

Special Feature

First in War, First in Peace and the First President Ever
Headlined in a Food Safety Story — George Washington!
Party preparation tips for throwing your
own Washington's Birthday gala, complete
with historic recipes p.

Food Safety

Red Flags on Food Poisoning

High-risk people — infants, the elderly, anyone

whose immune system is fragile — must be

especially careful with certain foods and

practices p. 10

^^-^

News Wires

Research at Iowa State may soon produce a

cholesterol inactivator you can add to food

before eating it p. 12

A scorecard — 11 microbiologists rate common

foodborne illness hazards p. 12

What's new in "USDA-approved" labels? An

"Exceeds USDA Requirements" label p. 13

Snip-Its

From a definition of surimi to the ongoing fight
against Montezuma's Revenge, a page chock-full
of good information p. 15

FOOD NEWS FOR CONSUMERS/WINTER 1989

3

i

mum

But the Recipe Says.

Perhaps you've seen some of the
"crazy" recipes — fish "cooked" in the
dishwasher, eggplant sauteed on a
truck engine?

Needless to say we have to tell
people who call USDA's Meat and
Poultry Hotline that such methods
probably aren't safe.

But we also get questions on less
bizarre cooking directions that could
cause bacterial illness.

In these cases and in answering the
recipe questions that follow, we score
recipe directions against this food
safety checklist to see how they
"measure up."

1 First, keep all food preparation
areas clean. Wash hands in warm
soapy water before preparing food.
Wash hands and utensils after con-
tact with raw meat and poultry.

2 Never use a recipe that asks
you to leave perishable food off
refrigeration over 2 hours. This
includes thawing and marinating,

3 Always hnish cooking a food in
a single step.

4 Make sure you have a constant
heat source when cooking,

5 For cooking, never set the oven
under 325 " F

6 Finally, promptly refrigerate or
freeze leftovers. Divide large quan-
tities into smaller containers for
quick cooling.

Q« I have a really great recipe for
the "woman on the go." It calls for
combining raw rice, canned soup and
seasonings. Raw pork chops are
placed on top.

The recipe says the casserole can
be assembled and refrigerated until
you're ready to cook. You bake it in a
250 °F oven for several hours. Is this
safe?

Am Cooking meat or poultry at a
low temperature can be dangerous.
Some bacteria could be in the raw
pork. Additional bacteria could enter
the casserole during preparation.

The low baking temperature could
promote the growth of these bacteria.
Raising the oven temperature to
325 °F, our recommended minimum
baking temperature, will just about
halve the cooking time. Enjoy your
dinner

Qa A newspaper article says tur-
keys or hams cooked in brown paper
grocery bags turn out extra tender.
Also, I've heard you can use plastic
containers like margarine tubs in the
microwave. Is this safe?

Am We don't recommend the use
of utensils, dishes or bags that are not
originally meant to be used in
cooking.

Dishes and utensils designed for
use with foods must meet strict stand-
ards and specifications. Brown bags
often are composed of recycled mate-
rials that could cause a fire, or contain

chemicals that could leech into the
food you're cooking. Margarine tubs
aren't intended for heating to micro-
wave temperatures — the container
could melt into your food!

Q> A friend recently gave me a
recipe in which beef cubes are mari-
nated for several hours. Then this
same marinade is used as a dipping
sauce. I've heard you shouldn't re-use
marinade that's been on raw meat,
but my friend says it's okay because
that's what the recipe says. Who is
right?

Am You are. Marinade that has
held raw meat contains raw juices.
These juices may contain bacteria
that, if eaten, could make you sick.

Even if the marinade contains an
acid ingredient to slow bacterial
growth, it will not destroy bacteria. If
the recipe calls for using the marinade
as part of a dipping sauce, bring it to
a full boil for several minutes. Other-
wise, reserve some for dipping in the
first place and use the rest to mari-
nate. REMEMBER, marinate foods in
the refrigerator.

Qa My microwave oven has a four-
stage memory The oven cookbook
says I can put a frozen roast in the
microwave in the morning and set the
oven on "timed bake" to defrost and
later cook the meat for dinner It also

4

FOOD NEWS FOR CONSUMERS/WINTER 1989

says the oven will hold the food at
serving temperature until I'm ready to
serve it. Is this safe?

Am From a safety standpoint, we
can't recommend this procedure. The
frozen meat will begin to thaw during
the seven or so hours it stands in the
oven before the mircowave turns on.
During this time, bacteria may grow
in the thawed areas.

Also, once the meat cooks and is
being kept warm by the "hold" func-
tion, it's crucial that the temperature
be kept at 165 ° F or above to prevent
bacterial growth. It would be hard to
determine whether an oven was
doing that.

Qa My recipe for potato salad
calls for cooked, cooled potatoes. It
says to cook the potatoes the night
before, cool them at room tempera-
ture overnight and prepare the salad
the next morning. I've heard so often
lately that foods should not sit out.
Are vegetables different?

Am While fresh vegetables may
be safely kept at room temperature
— only the quality may deteriorate —
cooked vegetables can support rapid
bacterial growth which could result in
foodborne illness.

Bacteria — found in the soil and all
around — are present in fresh vegeta-
bles, but the skins act as a barrier.
However, when vegetables are cooked
or cut, bacteria enters the flesh and
can grow well in the carbohydrate
atmosphere. Refrigeration deters
growth, so definitely, cool your
potatoes in the refrigerator

Qb My crockpot cookbook sug-
gests baking a whole, stuffed chicken
in it. The idea of a baked, stuffed
chicken ready for dinner when I get
home from work sounds great, but
something about this idea makes me
uneasy.

A. We share your concern. Crock-
pots are a great way to safely cook
some foods, but also present some

potential food safety problems. Poul-
try stuf&ng is a prime medium for bac-
terial growth, and it's possible that
the chicken juices contain some bacte-
ria. Since the crockpot does take a
long time to achieve a safe, high tem-
perature, bacteria could multiply in
the starchy stuffing.

We suggest using smaller, uniform
cuts of meat in your crockpot, follow-
ing a recipe that contains liquid, like a
soup or stew. The broth creates a
steamy atmosphere that efficiently
kills bacteria.

Q> I saw a nice recipe for pasta in
cream sauce on a pasta package. I
thought I'd fix it for a church supper
this week. But it calls for raw eggs to
be combined with a cream mixture,
then with the hot pasta. The eggs are
never cooked. I hear now that eggs
should be fully cooked. What do you
think?

USDAs Meat and
Poultry Hotline,
1-800-535-4555,
currently receives
some 4,800
consumer calls each
month.

Am Recent studies have led
researchers to believe that salmonella
may be present in the yolks of some
eggs. So we're recommending that
eggs be thoroughly cooked to kill the
bacteria.

This is especially important for
young children, older people, and
those who are ill or immune compro-
mised. For your church supper, you'd
do well to find another recipe.

Also, the time the casserole would
spend out of the refrigerator in tran-
sit to the church would increase the
potential bacterial growth.

Qa I saw a chef on TV demon-
strate the "Chinese method" of cook-
ing. He put a whole chicken in a pot
of water, brought it to a boil and then
turned off the heat. The chicken was
to finish cooking just sitting there in
that pot of hot water. Is that enough
heat to complete the cooking?

Am It may very well not be
enough heat to safely cook the
chicken. We do not recommend trying
to cook with only residual heat.

In the time it takes to complete the
cooking, bacteria may grow because
the temperature of the water may not
be high enough to kill them. Never try
to cook without a constant heat source.

Qa A magazine article on today's
busy families suggested some do-
ahead recipes. One for Irish stew calls
for browning the meat the night
before, then assembling the meat,
sauce and pre-cut vegetables just
before popping the stew in the micro-
wave at dinner time. What do you
think about this?

Am While partial cooking ahead
seems like a good way to save time, it
can be unsafe. A high enough tem-
perature must be reached in the meat
to kill any bacteria that may be there.
This may not happen in the browning
step.

Then the remaining bacteria could
grow in the warm food as it cools,
even when refrigerated. The second
cooking at mealtime may or may not
kill that bacteria.

Especially since the microwave may
not cook evenly and cold spots can
occur in the food, it's best not to take
the risk.

Instead, thoroughly cook the meat
ahead. Refrigerate it. Then add it to
the hot stew mid-way in microwaving
to warm the meat and complete the
dish. Put the combined mixture back
in to finish microwaving and remove
for any recommended standing time.

— Written by Susan Templin
and the Hotline Staff

FOOD HEVIS FOR CONSUMERS/WINTER 1989

5

Introducing the

NOfflMALKVRUS

by Mary Ann Parmley

You say you just learned how to pro-
nounce "salmonella" and don't want to
hear any more about food poisoning
right now?

That's understandable.

However, the Norwalk virus is rap-
idly gaining ground as a health threat.

There have been outbreaks from
contaminated water, shellfish, cole
slaw, salads, baked goods and, recently
in Pennsylvania and Delaware, from
ice.

Leading food virologist Dl Dean
Cliver, at the University of Wisconsin,
estimates that Norwalk and other Nor-
walk-like viruses could account for
some 40 percent of all serious, non-bac-
terial foodborne illness.

What makes Norwalk such a prob-
lem? First, perhaps, the fact that it is a
virus. Unlike bacteria, which attack the
body like soldiers mounting a pitched
battle, viruses are guerrilla fighters.

Viruses don't attack so much as in^I-
trate. They literally invade human cells
and turn the cell's genetic material
from its normal function to producing
the virus itself

Second, Norwalk is an extremely
virulent or infective organism. "With
Norwalk," says Dr. Cliver, "we think it
normally takes only 100 to 1,000 viral
particles to make you sick. And in
some cases, it may take just a few."

Another measure of the threat
Norwalk poses is its attack rate.
"Assuming 100 people are exposed
to Norwalk spread by an infected food
handler to something served at a large

dinner," says Cliver, "you can predict
that some 60 to 80 people will become
ill. That's an attack rate of 60 to 80 per-
cent. Compared to an attack rate of 20
to 40 percent for most other foodborne
illness, you see that Norwalk is quite
potent."

A possible explanation of why
Norwalk's attack rate is so high is
that, while many adults test positive
for antibodies to the virus — which
means they've already had the illness
once — they don't seem to have devel-
oped much real immunity People can
get the disease again and again.

What is the Norwalk viral illness
like? Reports indicate that people
normally show symptoms — diarrhea,
nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain,
headache and fever — within 1 to 2 days
after exposure. Symptoms are usually

Narrowing the
Norwalk Threat

1m Wash your hands thoroughly

in hot, soapy water before preparing
food. "This is important advice," says
Dr. Fout, "because this virus is fre-
quently transmitted from an infected
person's hands to the next victim's
mouth."

Commercial food preparers should
also use a disinfectant on their hands
and wear gloves that they change
from one operation to the next. "Mil-
lions of Norwalk particles can be in a
single stool globule on someone's
hands." says Dr. Cliver.

2> Don't drink untreated water.

Boil water when camping or travelling
in suspect areas. This will also protect
you from hepatitis and other viruses.

3. shellfish

• Eating raw shellfish. The elderly,
the very young, cancer or AIDS
patients, diabetics, and people with
liver or chronic digestive diseases are
advised not to eat raw shellfish. They
are at risk not only for Norwalk but
for a number of other serious viral
illnesses.

Healthy persons eat raw shellfish
at their own risk. Shellfish are
defined as oysters, clams, mollusks,
scallops, snails, whelks and cockles.

• Buy shellfish from reputable,
licensed dealers. This reduces the
risk that it was harvested from unsafe
waters.

• Refrigerate shellfish at 32-40 °F,

Store live shellfish in a shallow dish
covered with damp paper towels.
Storing them in water or in an airtight
container kills them.

Use mussels and clams in the shell
in 2-3 days; oysters in the shell in 7-10
days. If shells open, tap them. If they
don't re-close, discard.

Freshly-shucked clams, stored in
a covered jar, will keep 1-2 days;
shucked scallops, 2-3 days; shucked
oysters, 5-7 days.

Commercially frozen shellfish lasts
in the freezer up to 6 months; home-
frozen shellfish, 3-6 months. Longer
freezing cause quality loss.

• Cooking. Cover and continue
steaming shellfish for 5 minutes after
they open.

Shucked shellfish look plump and
opaque when well cooked, which nor-
mally takes 4-5 minutes in a boiling
mixture. Scallops firm to a milky
white. Oysters curl at the edges and
may shrink slightly.

• Leftovers. Refrigerate cooked
shellfish dishes for use in 2-3 days.

6

FOOD NEWS FOR CONSUMERS /WINTER 1989

How Norwalk Spreads

City sewage

People at banquet

severe enough so that victims call a doc-
tor; some may visit an emergency room.
Acute discomfort lasts a day or two.

Serious problems can result from
dehydration, and deaths have occurred
among the elderly.

Let's look at some actual case
histories for a better idea how the
Norwalk virus works. In 1979, the
Australians reported Norwalk prob-
lems in shellfish. In 1980, there was
trouble in Florida oysters and New
York clams and oysters.

Then there was the blockbuster
buttercream frosting incident. In
1982, one man mixing icing for a Min-
neapolis-St. Paul area bakery caused
some 3.000 illnesses. Investigators
said the infected worker mixed the
uncooked frosting in a giant vat with
his bare arms in the icing up to the
elbows.

From 1983 to 1985, there were more
shellfish incidents in the U.S., includ-
ing 888 verified cases in New York
State alone. Shellfish are a problem
because they feed by filtering nutri-
ents from the water. Unfortunately.

they also filter out and store bacteria
and viruses.

In a 1986 camping incident, some
135 people on a trip to a South
Dakota campground got Norwalk
from contaminated water. Apparently
sewage was seeping into a well whose
chlorination system was not working
properly. Even if the chlorination sys-
tem had been working, though, there
still could have been a problem. The
Norwalk virus appears to be resistant
to chlorine and other sewage-treat-
ment agents.

The virus can even survive freez-
ing! Two related outbreaks in 1987
involved ice produced by a Pennsylva-
nia company that supplied the prod-
uct to Philadelphia's Franklin Field
stadium and to a museum fund-raiser
in Wilmington, Del.

The cause of the problem, it
turned out, was that the company's
wells had been contaminated by
flooding from an infected stream.

Well now you've heard the bad
news — Norwalk resists chlorine, sur-
vives freezing, is highly infective and
the body doesn't build immunity to it
very well.

The hopeful side of things is based
on the virus's limitations, 'Norwalk,
explains Dr. Cliver, "is a very host-spe-
cific virus. It multiplies in the cells in
the human gut, passes out and can't
grow again until it reaches another
human gut. It can only sit in food. It
can't multiply in food as bacteria do,"

Norwalk is also killed by thorough
cooking. Therefore, other than water-
contracted infections, says Dr. Shay
Fout, a microbiologist for the Food
and Drug Administration, there are
only three ways Norwalk can spread
from food to human hosts;

• Shellfish, vegetables or fruit,
infected by human sewage in coastal
waters or from seepage and run-off in
fields, are eaten raw or undercooked.

• Food that won't be cooked or is
only partially cooked becomes con-
taminated with viral particles from
the body of an infected food handler,
usually from this person's hands.

• Food is recontaminated after
preparation or cooking by contact
with viral particles from an infected
food handler.

FOOD NEWS FOR CONSUMERS/WINTER 1989

7

Handling "Historic" Foods for a
Washington's Birthday Party

by Mary Ann Parmley

Had you been living in Alexandria,
Va., in 1799. you might have taken
part in a gala, all-day celebration of
Washington's birthday

Retired and living at Mt. Vernon,
just 8 miles from Alexandria, Wash-
ington was one of the most popular
figures of his day.

What were the Alexandria festivi-
ties like? There was a cannon salute
at dawn, a sham battle and even a
"mock surrender," honoring Washing-
ton's military exploits.

"The evening was concluded," says
a contemporary newspaper account,
"by a ball and supper given at Mr.
Gadsby's (tavern) . . . The house was
elegantly illuminated; the ballroom
adorned with a transparent likeness
of General Washington."

Mark Reed, assistant director at
Gadsby's Tavern Museum, says,
"Unfortunately for those of us who
try to re-create these dinners, we
know more about what people wore
and how the rooms were decorated
than about the food served. Probably
they had game meats or ham, some
root vegetables available in mid-win-
ter, breads, and a myriad of drinks,
punches and desserts."

Even after Washington's death, the
birthnight balls continued, growing
ever more elaborate.

The showpiece dessert at an 1805
ball at Gadsby's was "a large cake
ornamented with an equestrian statue
of General Washington, the whole
cover'd with a sugar candy net in the
form of a cone on the top of which
was the American Eagle."

While you might conclude that
obesity was the chief kitchen threat
of the 1700s, the real problem was
fire. That's why kitchens were often
separate, small structures at some
distance from the main house.

The other main problem was lack
of refrigeration. Curing, drying, salt-
ing, pickling, spicing, sugaring and
preserving in liquors were the chief
means of keeping food.

There were also no kitchen ther-
mometers, so old recipes give elabo-
rate descriptions of hot fires, low
coals and the way puddings should
"bubble" as substitutes for more pre-
cise directions on how long things
should be cooked for doneness.

By comparison, party preparation
is a much simpler matter today Food
safety can be easy, too, if we're just
extra careful in handling large quan-
tities of food or food to be served
buffet style.

Why? If you make a food handling
mistake cooking for a crowd, large
numbers of people are affected. And
food set out for serving must be care-
fully monitored because food poison-
ing bacteria love room temperatures.
Many multiply fastest between
85-100 °F.

As you read these updated recipes,
then, for re-creating a Washington's
Birthday celebration, pay special
attention to the safe handling tips.
(Also see "Party Food Tips.")

Now for our recipes. As the game
entree, why not try roast duck? If
you're short of time, see if a Chinese
restaurant with carry-out would just
roast the duck (or ducks) for you plain
— without adding a sauce.

You could then either serve the
duck immediately at your Washing-
ton's Birthday dinner or refrigerate it,
later adding an 18th-century port
wine sauce before serving.

An elegant sauce from Nancy
Carter Crump's Hearthside Cooking"^
(p. 171) calls for Va cup port wine and
'/s tsp. fine-ground red pepper. Add
in duck drippings and boil the sauce
briefly to thicken. You can add a pinch
of salt for taste.

8

FOOD NEWS FOR CONSUMERS /WINTER 1989

when you re-heat the duck, make
sure it comes to an internal tempera-
ture of 180°F. Insert the meat ther-
mometer in breast or leg, not touch-
ing bone or fat.

For a buffet, the duck can be
carved, laid in the boiling wine sauce
and served from a chafing dish.

If you use a chafing dish, make sure
it's holding the meat at 140 °F, or
above, and don't let the duck sit in the
server over 2 hours. This prevents
problems with bacteria that can grow
at warm (100-110 °F) chafing dish tem-
peratures and cause food poisoning.

Probably you'll have salad, which
our forebears could not have enjoyed
mid-winter, so for your "root vegeta-
ble," how about a tantalizing and
authentic "ragoo" of onions?

*Nancy Carter Qinmp — Hearthside Cooking,
EPM Publications, McLean, Va.. 1986.

Onion Ragoo

4 tbsps. butter
3 cups chopped

onion
2 tbsps. flour
V2 tsp. salt
Va tsp. pepper

V4 cup chicken

stock
1 rounded tsp.

French

mustard
V4 cup browned

bread crumbs

— Hearthside Cooking, p. 196

In a saucepan over moderately low
heat, melt butter. Add onion. Stir
until light brown and tender. Add
flour, salt, pepper. Blend well. Simmer
briefly. Blend in stock and mustard,
stir until thickens. Pour into serving
dish and garnish with bread crumbs.

Again, from a food safety stand-
point, if you serve the onions in a
chafing dish, make sure they register
140 °F or above.

If you don't have a chafing dish,
refrigerate the starchy ragoo. Then
reheat or microwave smaller servings
for passing around at intervals during
the party. Never leave the serving
dish out over 2 hours, as bacteria can
grow quickly in warm, starchy food
held at room temperature.

Okay, so far you have duck in port
wine, salad and rich, stewed onions.
What about those festive drinks and
punches?

A popular milk punch or posset
was syllabub.

Very Fine Syllabub

5 cups cream 2 cups white
1 V2 cups sugar wine
Juice, rind of 3 1 cup sack or

large lemons cream sherry
(Makes 3 quarts)

— Hearthside Cooking, p. 84

Combine cream with sugar and
lemon rind in a large bowl. Set aside.

Combine wine, sack and lemon
juice and very slowly beat into cream
mix. Whip until syllabub is light and
frothy, about 10 minutes.

Pour into wine glasses, cover with
plastic wrap and chill overnight to
ripen flavor and allow cream to rise
to the top.

Because this cream mixture could
allow bacterial growth, serve the
punch straight from the refrigerator.

To end the evening in style, offer a
syllabub toast to George Washington,
Here's an authentic 1797 tribute: "May
the hearts of his contemporaries, as
well as those of succeeding ages,
never cease to be grateful." You can
almost see Martha, smiling behind
her fan.

Interested in history?

Each February, Alexandria holds a
Birthnight Ball and other living history
activities honoring Washington. Call
1-703-838-4200 or write the Alexandria
Tourist Council, 221 King St., Alexandria,
Va. 22134.

Party (& Everyday)
Food Tips

1. Keep it safe, refrigerate.

Refrigerate food you'll use
quickly. Freeze raw meat or
poultry you can't use in 1-2
days. Freezer should regis-
ter 0°F; refrigerator, 40 °F.

2. Don't thaw food on the
kitchen counter. Bacteria
multiply fast at room
temperature.

3. Wash hands in warm,
soapy water before prepar-
ing food. Wash hands and
utensils after touching raw
meat and poultry. Wash
cutting boards and work
surfaces too. Don't let bac-
teria migrate from raw
foods to other dishes.

4. Never leave perishable
food out over 2 hours.

5. Thoroughly cook raw
meat, poultry and fish.

6. Freeze or refrigerate
leftovers promptly. To re-
use, heat to bubbling —
185 °F.

FOOD NEWS FOR CONSUMERS/WINTER 1989

9

Red Flags

by Linda Russell

Some victims of foodborne illness
face a greater risk than others of
becoming seriously ill. They are the
elderly, infants, pregnant women and
chronically ill people. Our immune
systems take a while to fully develop,
change during pregnancy, and weaken
with age or during various illnesses.

Even healthy people with normal
immune systems react differently to
foodborne bacteria. Health officials
often find that among people who
have eaten food containing harmful
organisms, some will show no symp-
toms of illness, while other become
seriously ill.

This is the advice home economists
on the USDA Meat and Poultry Hot-
line have given people who should
take extra care to avoid foodborne
illness.

Q. My mother is elderly and has
gum problems. One of her favorite
foods is soft-cooked eggs. Yet I've
read a lot recently about salmonella
in eggs. What should I do?

Am As far as nutrition and food
safety are concerned, eggs can remain
an important part of many people's
diets.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture and other researchers are
still looking at the question of how
eggs become contaminated with
salmonella.

Until more information is available,
consumers are advised to play it safe
and cook eggs thoroughly. This means
that eggs should be cooked until the
yolk is not runny and the white is
firm. Cook scrambled eggs until firm.

Foods that contain raw eggs, such
as Caesar salad or homemade ice

cream and eggnog, should be avoided.
Commercial products of this type are
safe, since they use pasteurized eggs,
and the pasteurization kills bacteria.

Also, avoid recipes that contain
lightly cooked eggs, such as chilled
chocolate mousse or the meringue on
a lemon pie.

Q. I remember when my mother
kept farm-fresh eggs in a basket on
the counter Is this okay or do they
have to be kept refrigerated?

A. Definitely keep them refriger-
ated. In fact, do not keep eggs out
of the refrigerator for more than
2 hours, including preparation and
serving time. If you hide hard-cooked
eggs for an egg hunt, either follow the
2-hour rule or do not eat the eggs.

In addition, serve cooked eggs and
egg-rich foods hot, immediately after

10

FOOD NEWS FOR CONSUMERS/WINTER 1989

cooking, or refrigerate them at once
for serving later. Use them within 3 to
4 days. When refrigerating a large
egg-rich dish, divide it into several
shallov^^ containers so that it will cool
quickly,

Q. How can I tell if an egg con-
tains salmonella?

Am There is no way that you can
tell, short of testing it in a laboratory
To be safe, handle all eggs properly.
Use grade AA or A eggs with clean,
uncracked shells. Refrigerate them in
the original carton at a temperature
no higher than 40 ° F.

Use raw shell eggs within 5 weeks.
Wash your hands after handling eggs.
And be sure to clean blenders and
other appliances and utensils after
they have come in contact with raw
eggs and before they are used for any-
thing else.

Qi My husband has always
enjoyed rare roast beef. Should he
give up one of his favorite foods now
that he is ill and the doctor says his
immune system is weakened?

Am Eating any raw or under-
cooked meat, poultry, fish or eggs can
lead to foodborne illness. Perhaps
once your husband understands the
risks of undercooked meat, he can
develop a taste for "medium,"

For maximum food safety, beef
should be cooked to an internal tem-
perature of at least 160 °F, which is
medium. Pork should be cooked to
160 °F, veal and lamb to 170 °F, and
poultry to 180 °F for doneness.

Qi My toddler is just starting to
enjoy regular food, such as chicken.
How can I make my kitchen safe from
bacteria that may harm my child?

Am Generally, an infant's immune
system should be well developed by
one year of age. However, for reasons
that are not fully understood, chil-
dren seem to be more likely to get
salmonellosis than adults.

There are several basic rules that
everyone should follow for a safe
kitchen:

• Keep hot foods hot and cold
foods cold. Defrost meat and poultry
in the refrigerator, not on the counter.
Cool stews or roasts, divided into
small portions, in the refrigerator, not
on the counter.

Remember to place items cooling in
the refrigerator in such a way that the
air circulates around them freely.
Refrigerate leftovers promptly

• Cook meat, poultry, fish and eggs
thoroughly.

• Avoid cross-contamination. After
working with raw meat, poultry, fish
or eggs, wash the counter, cutting
board, utensils and your hands thor-
oughly with warm, soapy water.

Too often, people will cook meat
thoroughly, but leave the juices from
the raw meat on the cutting board
where they contaminate the salad or
other food that won't be cooked.

Q. I'm now hearing about a dis-
ease called listeriosis. Is this some-
thing new?

Am During the 1980s, hsterosis has
emerged as a troublesome foodborne
illness. It comes from the bacteria Lis-
teria monocytogenes, which is found
frequently in the environment. It can
be found in soil, fruits, vegetables,
milk, fish, meat and poultry The
disease is rare, but can be deadly
Outbreaks have been traced to raw
cabbage, soft cheese, and other dairy
products. Scientists are currently try-
ing to find out more about listeria and
how it can affect humans. It mostly
affects people who have weakened
immune systems.

To guard against this risk,
cook meat, poultry, fish and eggs
thoroughly. Do not drink raw
(unpasteurized) milk or consume
products made with it.

Q. I'm on a fixed income and
don't like to waste food. How long
can 1 keep hotdogs and lunchmeats in
my refrigerator?

Am Pay attention to storage times
or "use-by" dates for cooked, ready-
to-eat products — such as hotdogs and
lunchmeats — because of hsteria.

Unlike many other bacteria, listeria
can grow at refrigerator temperatures.
If a ready-to-eat product contains hs-
teria, the bacteria could grow slowly
for as long as the product is in your
refrigerator.

Check dates on packages that you
buy. Then, once hotdogs or lunch-
meats are opened, store them no
longer than a week in the refrigerator.
They'll keep 1-2 months in the
freezer.

Q. I am expecting my first child
and understand that 1 am now more
at risk for serious foodborne illness.
Is that true and what can I do?

Am It is true that your immune
system is undergoing some changes
during your pregnancy. However, if
you follow the basic food safety rules,
everything should be fine.

To protect yourself and your
unborn child from listeria, thoroughly
cook meat, poultry, fish and eggs, and
never drink raw milk or consume
products made with it.

Also, you need to be careful to
avoid a disease called toxoplasmosis.
Humans can get it from eating under-
cooked meat, or from contact with
cats.

While you're pregnant, avoid eating
undercooked or raw meat and have
someone else change any litter boxes.
The problem is that the parasite that
causes toxoplasmosis cycles through
the cat's digestive system.

In general, it is a good idea to keep
pets away from the kitchen and to
wash your hands after touching any
animal.

Home economists on USDA's toll-
free Meat and Poultry Hotline will be
glad to answer any questions you
have about the safety of meat, poultry
and eggs. Call 1-800-535-4555 from 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern time. Callers in
the Washington, DC, metropolitan
area should dial (202) 447-3333. Both
numbers provide access to a telecom-
munications device for the deaf

FOOD NEIVS FOR CONSUMERS /WINTER 1989

11

News
Wires

Pass the Shaker of
Cholesterol Dissolver,
Please

How would you like to be able to
eat eggs and butter without worrying
about cholesterol? Some cholesterol
in the body is necessary for life, but
abnormally high amounts in the
blood are linked with cardiovascular
disease.

Dr. Donald C. Beitz, a nutritional
biochemist at Iowa State University's
Agriculture and Home Economics
Experiment Station, is working with
other scientists to develop a way to
inactivate cholesterol in animal
products.

They are trying to isolate an
enzyme which converts cholesterol
into coprostanol, a closely related
compound that the human digestive
system cannot absorb. The enzyme,
cholesterol reductase, occurs natu-
rally in the human digestive system
where it converts some of the cho-
lesterol consumed into coprostanol.
About half the remaining cholesterol
is absorbed by the blood and the rest
is excreted.

The researchers have discovered
that the leaves of cucumbers, corn,
soybeans, and peas also contain cho-
lesterol reductase. They are working
to extract it from the leaves, purify it,
and then test its ability to inactivate
cholesterol in meat and dairy
products.

Cholesterol reductase could then
be added to foods by either the
processor or the consumer. Dairies
could mix it with homogenized milk

or with cream for making butter. Meat
packers could add it to ground meats
during processing. Consumers could
even sprinkle it on food or in drinks a
few minutes before serving them, as
the reductase needs a little time to
work.

Adding the enzyme won't change
the food's taste, since both choles-
terol and coprostanol are flavorless
and odorless.

"We hope that this enzyme will
make life on a low-cholesterol diet
much easier," said Beitz.

For more information, contact Dr.
Donald C Beitz, Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa. Telephone:
1-515-294-5626.

— Liz Lapping

Polling the Experts on
Foodborne Illness

Salmonella — that's the number 1
foodborne illness problem according
to microbiologists USDA's Food Safety
and Inspection Service polled
recently.

FSIS staff have been interviewing
microbiologists and other foodborne
illness experts in an effort to "tailor"
our consumer education efforts to
areas of greatest health risk.

Why did 11 government, academic
and industry microbiologists agree
that salmonella will be the para-
mount concern of the next 5 years?

"Probably because most reported
instances of foodborne illness are
still salmonella infections," said Carl
Custer, an FSIS microbiologist.

Several issues shared billing as sec-
ond place concerns in the experts'
scoring. They are the training of com-
mercial food handlers, use of partially
cooked products, the problem of lis-
teria bacteria and food products in
new and (to the consumer)
"unknown" packaging.

"We've always known one
untrained commercial food handler
can make a lot of people sick," Custer
said.

12

FOOD NEWS FOR CONSUMERS/WINTER 1989

Partially cooked foods are a con-
cern because they haven't been sub-
jected to the "bacterial kill" you get
with thorough cooking, Custer
explained.

Concern about listeria emerged in
the 1980s along with the disturbing
news that listeria is one of a number
of bacteria that can grow at refrigera-
tor temperatures.

"Since hsteria bacteria can cause
miscarriage and stillbirth, it poses a
particular risk for pregnant women,"
Custer added.

Concern about bacteria that grow
in refrigeration means that food sci-
entists today are looking closely at a
new group of products that promise a
longer useful life in the refrigerator.

This includes new products in vac-
uum packs and products in modified
atmosphere packs — where special gas
mixtures are used to retard spoilage.

"You have to remember that while
new packaging techniques inhibit
some bacteria, they can allow the
growth of others," Custer said.

Ten of the 11 microbiologists agreed
that adequate care labeling — cooking
and handling instructions printed on
packages — could influence consumer
habits for the better, reducing the
chance for foodborne illness.

For more information on the study,
call Sharin Sachs, project coordinator,
1-202-447-9113.

— Sharin Sachs

USDA takes a new look at point-of-purchase
materials.

while not actually a label, the poster in this photo — a promotional device —
may well be viewed by the shopper as a source of information just as valid as the
product label itself So USDA will now be looking harder at these materials when
companies make dietary claims (low cholesterol) or statements about how animals
were raised (no antibiotics). In such cases, should the issue of truthfulness arise,
the company will have to prove their claims.

USDA Approves New
Labeling Program

Incentive labeling is a program
under development at USDA in which
companies that take extra steps to
improve the microbiological safety of
their products can make special
claims to that effect on the label.

The intent of the incentive labeling
program is to encourage industry to
put more elaborate control systems in
plants so they can produce improved
products. The USDA inspection pro-
gram will continue to ensure that all
meat and poultry products are safe,
wholesome and meet inspection
standards.

To qualify for incentive labeling,
the company must be able to identify
critical control points in production
where contamination may occur, iden-
tify the control procedures that will
be used at these points, and define
corrective actions that will be taken
should a problem occur.

The company must also gather
baseline data that USDA will evaluate
to see how well the company is oper-
ating. Inspectors will monitor plant
records and conduct verification sam-
pling of the product. In addition, the
plant must operate the new system on
a two-month trial basis so in-plant
personnel can ensure that what is
presented in the plan represents real-
ity. Then the plant will be placed on a
three-month probationary period. If
the control program fails in any way,
approval can be withdrawn.

The label for products approved
under this program will bear the stan-
dard claim approved by USDA —
"Exceeds USDA Requirements for
Consumer Protection."

Incentive labels will also require a
USDA-approved statement that
explains the plant's microbial control
program.

For more information on incentive
labeling, contact:

Ashland demons, Standards and

Labeling Division, USDA,

1-202-447-4293.

— Liz Lapping

FOOD NEWS FOR CONSUMERS /WINTER 1989

13

u

In A Stew Over
Food Safety?

Call the USDA Meat
and Poultry Hotline
for food safety facts.

800-535-4555 Washington, DC 447-3333
10:00 am-4:00 pm Eastern Time

Professional home economists will answer your
questions about proper handling of meat and poultry,
how to tell if it is safe to eat, and how to better
understand meat and poultry labels.

A public service of this publication and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

14

FOOD NE¥I/S FOR CONSUMERS/WINTER 1989

Eating Right l¥hen
You're Sick

Some foods and drugs don't go
together. For example, some types of
penicillins you take for infections lose
their effectiveness when taken with
food.

In other cases, food may help
reduce the stomach upset that drugs
can cause. Aspirin and ibuprofen, the
common pain relievers you take when
you have a headache, are two drugs
that are best taken with food.

Some types of drugs can hurt you
when taken at the same time. In order
to help you get well quickly, your phy-
sician or pharmacist should know
about every drug you are taking —
including those bought without a
prescription.

For a free copy of the pamphlet.
Food and Drug Interactions, call or
write the Food and Drug Administra-
tion, 5600 Fishers Lafie, Rockville,
Md. 20857. 1-301-443-1544.

IVs Mid-Winter— Do
You Know l¥haf Your
Refrigerator is
Registering?

Everyone can give you the mileage
their car gets, but very few know
some other vital statistics — the tem-
peratures their refrigerator and home
freezer are keeping.

Why are these numbers important?
Because most food spoilage and food
poisoning bacteria don't grow at cold
temperatures. Therefore, a properly
functioning refrigerator and freezer
are your first line of defense against
food poisoning.

Here are the magic numbers. Your
refrigerator should register a frosty
40°F or just under; your freezer 0°F
or just below.

Buy an inexpensive appliance ther-
mometer and check.

Getting The Best of
Montezuma

Montezuma's revenge can ruin any
trip. But help is on the way from an
unlikely source: cows.

Researchers at the University of
Maryland have devised a way to
enrich cow's milk with antibodies that
prevent traveler's diarrhea. It works
the same way that mothers pass on
antibodies to their children through
breast milk.

The scientists, led by Dr. Carol
Tacket, injected pregnant cows with
several bacteria that cause traveler's
diarrhea. The cows then developed
antibodies to the bacteria, which they
secreted in their colostrum, the first
milk produced after birth.

Tacket gave one group of volun-
teers a concentrate of the colostrum
with antibodies, while another group
received samples without the anti-
bodies. Then both groups drank
water laced with the diarrhea-causing
bacteria. None of the volunteers who
received the concentrate with anti-
bodies got diarrhea; nine of the ten in
the control group did develop
diarrhea.

For further information, contact Dr.
Carol Tacket, University of Maryland
Medical School, 10 South Pine Street.
Baltimore, Md. 21201, 1-301-328-5328.

Surimi?

Surimi may be the hottest new pro-
tein source around. Never heard of it?
You're not alone. The word doesn't
even appear in American dictionaries.

So what is it? Surimi has been well-
known in Japan for hundreds of
years. It is made from minced fish
that has been washed to remove
undesirable matter such as fat and
blood pigment. American surimi is
usually made from food fish such as
Alaskan pollock, a bland but plentiful
white fish.

You may have already eaten surimi.
One of its most popular uses in the
United States is in the imitation crab
legs and shrimp now showing up in
grocery stores.

To make the seafood substitute,
surimi is blended with other ingre-
dients such as natural shellfish, flavor-
ing, salt, water, starch, egg whites and
phosphates. Then it is heat-processed
and molded into products that resem-
ble the natural shellfish. A common
blend is 80% surimi and 20% natural
shellfish,

Surimi is now moving into meat
and poultry products. Last June,
USDA approved the use of surimi in a
cured meat blend. The product is
called "Spicy Bites," a breaded pork
nugget that will contain 15% surimi.

With its low cost, high protein and
low cholesterol, surimi may be a hit
with today's consumers.

Linda Swacina

FOOD NEWS FOR CONSUMERS /WINTER 1989

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